The present invention generally relates to safety devices for vehicles and, in particular, to a side-view mirror assembly for a vehicle in the form of a motorized, single shell, dual view, side-view mirror.
Side-view mirrors for large vehicles such as school buses, transit buses and trucks present special design challenges. Specifically, because of the height and size of the vehicles, it is necessary to provide an ample viewing area for a long distance along the side of the vehicle, as well as a view which is directed more toward the ground. Conventionally, separate mirror elements have been provided for these diverse viewing requirements. For example, one mirror element has been traditionally mounted to provide a unique field of view by way of a large flat mirror surface and another mirror element has been provided with a convex surface to provide a wider field of view. These prior art mirror elements, while serving their intended functions, also have the unintended and undesired result that they obscure a substantial field of view forward of the mirror assemblies.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a more effective, improved mirror assembly for vehicles such as school buses, transit buses, trucks and the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mirror assembly for vehicles which is diverse and easier to use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mirror assembly with superior vibration damping features and aerodynamic features for an improved field of view.
In accordance with the present invention, a vehicular side-view mirror assembly includes a support member which is coupled to the vehicle; a shell housing having a mounting hole for receiving the support member; a support member mounting plate formed of a substantially rigid material, the support member mounting plate being disposed in and coupled to the shell housing, the support member being fixedly coupled to the support member; and a mirror unit being disposed within the shell housing but being coupled directly to and supported by the support member mounting plate such that the mirror unit is substantially rigidly coupled to the support member without being supported by the shell housing.
The foregoing and numerous other objects of the invention are realized with a mirror assembly which is described below by reference to the drawings and detailed description which follows.